Sharks-Devils Game Preview

The San Jose Sharks complete their five game road trip through the Eastern Time Zone Sunday with a game at 3pm EST in New Jersey. It is their longest road trip this season, and they will be playing their fourth game in six days, with two games being extended to shootouts.

This does not bode well for the Sharks, as the Devils are good enough without this advantage. Yet this is a big game for San Jose, who is currently 1-1-4 in their last six games. Major advantage: Devils.

New Jersey also has the advantage in the injury report. Martin Brodeur, who has been out almost the entire season, is the only person on Injured Reserve. Meanwhile, the Sharks list includes defenceman Brad Lokowich, as well as checking line forwards Jeremy Roenick and Torrey Mitchell. Moreover, the Sharks are likely to be without Marcel Goc and Jody Shelley. Major advantage: Devils.

Here’s a look at the matchup by the numbers:

New Jersey has a point percentage of .670, ranked fourth in the league (earning a tie-break over the Washington Capitals because of having one more win) and are eight games over .500 at home, ranking 13th. The Sharks have the league’s best point percentage at .783, and are nine games over .500 on the road, good for third. Advantage: Sharks.
New Jersey scores 3.02 goals per game, tied for eighth in the NHL, and gives up 2.39, ranking fourth; their goal differential of 0.69/game is fifth best in the NHL. Meanwhile, San Jose scores 3.40 goals per game, ranking second, and their defence yields 2.36 per game; that is good enough for the second best differential in the league at 1.04/game. Advantage: Sharks.
New Jersey’s power play has a 19.0 percent success rate (13th in the NHL) and their penalty kill rate is 82.1 percent (12th in the NHL). The Sharks have the league’s second-best power play at 24.1 percent, and the fourth-best penalty kill at 84.9 percent. A good way to gauge a team’s special teams is to add both percentages, and the Sharks 109.0 is the best in the NHL, while the Devils sum of 101.1 is 13th. Advantage: Sharks.

The advantages for the Devils—on home ice, facing a tired and limping team that is not playing as well as they are—outweigh the Sharks advantages—better offence and defence, in part because of better special teams, resulting in a better record on the road than New Jersey has at home. Devils 4, Sharks 3.